


Incanto

by CorvusRex



Series: Excerpts from a Scattered Mind [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mediaeval Music, Music/Musicians, rating and warnings are subject to change, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29193108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorvusRex/pseuds/CorvusRex
Summary: Keith and Lance had a major falling out just before graduating college over their career directions.  Keith wanted to leave home to teach in another state, Lance wanted him to stay with Incanto, the six-member choir they'd started in high school.  A year after graduation, and Keith is back home.  He's rejoining Incanto and his friends.  And maybe he might be able to finally admit how he really feels about his best friend.~*~*~*~Like the rest of this series, this is a first chapter excerpt from somethingelsethat's been sitting on my hard drive for a while.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Excerpts from a Scattered Mind [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143308
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Incanto

“I’m supposed to be landing around noon your time,” Keith said into the phone wedged between his face and shoulder while trying to dig his boarding pass out from his old leather satchel. He found it, and then immediately dropped it, swearing under his breath.

“You good over there? Don’t fall apart on me before you even make it back home,” Shiro said, laughter in his voice.

“Oh, fuck you too,” came the instant response as Keith retrieved his boarding pass from the floor. “Fuck, I hate airports. Either way, my flight’s boarding in about half an hour. And don’t forget our deal. I just want to relax. No bombarding me with old friends.”

Shiro’s pout was obvious when he answered. “But, Keith, they miss you. I did tell them to lay off for today, so I can’t be held responsible if they show up on their own.”

Keith dropped into a seat in the terminal. He sighed, loud enough for people nearby to glance up at him. “Goddammit, Shiro. And I’m sure you just ‘didn’t tell them not to come’, right?”

Shiro chuckled, but Keith could hear the underlying guilt. “I did, but you know Pidge. And she knows how to get Hunk on her side.”

Keith sighed again, knowing what would happen when he landed. “Yeah, and then Allura will decide to tag along. I’m fucked, aren’t I?”

“Only if that’s what you call seeing old friends who’ve missed you. And you never know, they may decide to drag your old high school crush along with them. I know you’d love to see Lance again.”

“I’m hanging up on you,” he paused, listening to the announcement over the PA system. His flight was early and boarding now. “Well, shit, I really do have to go. We’re boarding now. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“I’ll be there. Later, Keith,” Shiro said and disconnected.

Keith slipped his phone in his pocket, quickly making his way over to the gate. He’d lucked out on his reservation, getting a window seat and no one beside him. After settling in, he pulled out the sheet music Shiro had sent him.

He still didn’t know how he’d gotten dragged into this. After a long talk with his brother Shiro, Keith had admitted that he really wasn’t happy with the teaching job he had at that small private school in Chicago. The pay sucked, the other teachers were insufferable, and the music department’s budget was really just for show. What he really wanted was to put his music degree to actual, practical use. And it just so happened that Shiro was still a part of Incanto, the mediaeval/renaissaince choir led by high school-crush Lance. After some – ok, a _lot_ – of convincing on Shiro’s part, Keith had agreed to move back home to Boston and rejoin Incanto. That was how Keith found himself on a plane staring unfocusedly at sheet music two days after the end of the school year.

The unfocused part was because it was only then hitting him that he was going to have to be in close proximity to Lance almost every day. They had been friends in high school – Keith, Lance, Pidge, Hunk, Shiro, and Allura. Although Shiro and Allura were a year ahead, they all met in a music theory class. Shiro and Allura were sophomores at the time, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge just freshmen. They stayed friends all throughout the rest of high school. Keith even had his Great Gay Awakening when he realized his budding crush on Lance at the end of sophomore year. While he readily came out to his friend group at the time, the only one to know about the crush problem was Shiro. Shiro may have been a good brother and kept the secret, but that didn’t keep him from needling Keith for the next two years, trying to get his little brother to admit to his feelings out loud to Lance. Keith dodged every time.

Snapping his attention back to the pages in his hands, Keith looked over the arrangements of mediaeval and renaissance music. He could see that Lance’s writing had gotten even better over the years, and soon Keith was back in high school again. He let the pages fall to the open tray table and he turned to stare blankly out the window, thinking back to when the six of them would sneak out at night to the old cemetery for late night choral sessions.

The rush of old memories made him realize how much he missed it. The way their six distinct voices came together, creating something bigger than they were individually. Keith closed his eyes, letting his memories pull him back to the cemetery. He let himself drift farther, allowing the memory of sound to surface. He could hear Pidge’s clear, silvery soprano ringing between the aged grave markers, supported by Allura with her breathily airy mezzo soprano. Lance rounded out the upper registers of their group. Keith couldn’t ever not be floored by the sound of it. Technically, Lance landed in the tenor range, but his voice had a distinctly androgynous sound, crossing over into a more feminine contralto. He let the sound of his own light, smoky tenor filter through, joining with the rest. Next came Shiro’s resonant voice. He had a wider range than Keith, bridging the gap between tenor and baritone. And finally, Hunk’s voice rounded out the sextet with his soft, smooth baritone. He really had missed them, and the flight to Boston truly felt like coming home.

Keith returned to the sheet music, scanning it over before studying the pieces in depth. He let himself get so lost in the music that he didn’t notice that he’d begun softly humming the melody of the piece he was absorbing. This wasn’t brought to his attention until a shadow came over him from the end of the row. He looked up to find a flight attendant standing there.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re landing shortly,” she said.

“Oh. Sorry about that,” he answered, collecting the pages and returning them to his satchel.

She smiled, one that was more genuinely friendly than professional. “It’s fine, I just thought you might have missed the announcement.”

“I did. Thanks.” The returned smile was far more reserved than hers, hoping she wouldn’t get the wrong idea. It had happened before; women thinking that his basic manners meant that he was flirting with them.

Her smile remained, but her eyes showed that he was right to be cautious. “Absolutely,” she said, a little too brightly, “Enjoy your trip to Boston.”

She made her way to the back of the plane, and Keith let out a small sigh of relief that _that_ was over with. He returned to the window just in time to see Logan Airport and the harbor come into view. The plane soon landed, and Keith was on his way to the baggage claim. He had almost reached his destination when a familiar but unexpected arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“Fucking hell, Shiro! You trying to kill me?” Keith hissed.

“And here I thought you’d be happy to see me,” Shiro teased.

Keith shot his brother a glare, only to be met with fond amusement.

Shiro laughed and changed the subject. “So, what did you think of the music?”

“It’s good. Lance’s writing has gotten even better. I may be dreading the idea of being around him so much, but I’ve missed everyone.” Keith paused, unwrapping Shiro’s arm as he plucked the first of his two suitcases off the carousel. “I don’t think I ever felt right in Chicago,” he said, turning back to his brother, “Flying back here felt like coming home.”

Shiro hefted the other suitcase over the edge of the carousel. “Because it is. And, Keith? We’ve missed you, too.”

The drive back to Charlestown was uneventful, full of typical Boston traffic and endless one-way streets going the way they didn’t want to go. Keith just sat back and watched the city go by, taking in old familiar sights, paying attention to when he could see the Prudential and John Hancock buildings and when they disappeared from view. He could tell Shiro was taking a round about route, just _happening_ to drive past some of Keith’s favorite places – Boston Library, the MFA, even though he hated the new American Wing, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. He knew what Shiro was doing, not that it mattered in the way his brother thought. By the time they’d left Logan and were in the city again, Keith already felt like he was home.

Once they’d crossed the river into Charlestown, Shiro spoke for the first time since the airport. “I know you picked up on what I was doing, and I intentionally left one place off the tour. I shouldn’t be telling you, mostly because Pidge will have my ass for ruining the surprise, but they want us all to go out to the cemetery again. They wanted to give you a proper ‘welcome home’.”

That certainly was a surprise. “When?” Keith asked, both hoping it wasn’t but also wanting it to be that night.

“They said tonight. I told them you wanted to relax. But you never know with them. They might just decide to kidnap us both anyway,” Shiro said, the tone Keith knew so well hinting at it being that night no matter what.

Shiro almost tried to pull into their small driveway when he noticed another car already in its place. Keith didn’t recognize the silver-blue Toyota in the driveway, but Shiro did and didn’t hide his surprise at seeing it there.

“Not what I was expecting. Don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that,” he muttered. He pulled in behind it, the Toyota inching forward to give Shiro enough space to get in. Shiro handed the house keys over. “I’ll be in in a minute.”

Keith accepted the keys, wondering just what in the hell was going on. He got his answer when he went to unlock the front door.

“Hey,” said a familiar voice from behind him, “I know Shiro said you wanted to recoup for a day before the crew descended, but I wanted to see you. It’s been way too long, and I think we should talk.”

Keith stopped, key in the lock. He hesitated, then sighed, opening the door. “I did want to relax for today, but I wouldn’t mind company,” he said, turning around.

Lance looked even better than Keith remembered. He still wore his high school uniform of jeans and soft cotton Irish workman shirts with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, but it looked better on him now. Keith couldn’t help but notice the grey leather cuff with a hammered-pewter band running along the center on Lance’s left wrist. It was the one Keith had gotten for him for Christmas during their last year of college, not long before their fight.

Neither of them could forget that fight, and Keith suspected it was what Lance wanted to talk about. They hadn’t spoken of it since it happened. Incanto was still in its infant stages as they were still in college. But Keith was still trying to avoid his firmly planted feelings for Lance and said that he would be teaching after graduation and leaving Incanto. Lance couldn’t understand why Keith would ever do it; he loved the music too much. Keith said that he wanted stability and not having to “wander all over” for shows. It eventually exploded just before graduation, and while they hadn’t stopped talking to their mutual friends, their own friendship cooled. They both regretted it, but neither one of them could stay in a room together without fighting again. Keith went to Chicago, accepting a teaching position at a small private middle & high school. Lance continued with Incanto, the four other original members staying with him. By graduation, they’d even managed to convince Pidge’s brother Matt, who they’d also been friends with, to join them as an instrumentalist, backing them up with mediaeval and renaissance instruments as well as more modern ones.

Lance followed Keith through the house to the kitchen. Keith dropped his satchel in the chair against the wall, heading straight for the kettle. After filling the electric kettle and setting the temperature, he went into the cabinet to retrieve the tea Shiro had made sure to have restocked for Keith’s return. He turned around, holding up the gold-lidded black tin of his favorite tea. Lance nodded, and Keith went back to the cabinet for two cloth sachets for the loose-leaf Assam tea and a pair of mugs, setting them beside the kettle. He busied himself with tea preparation trying to figure out how to start. Lance seemed to be in the same state of mind, sitting in silence at the table.

Once finished, Keith sat at the table after setting their tea down. He wrapped his hands around the mug, feeling the heat sinking into his hands. “I’m guessing you wanted to talk about the fight. I don’t know that I regret my decision to leave to teach, but I definitely regret that fight. It wasn’t fair on either of us. And I get how you thought I was just throwing away what we’d been working on since high school. I _always_ wanted Incanto to succeed; I still do.”

Lance reached over, gently placing a hand on Keith’s wrist. “No, it’s ok. I mean, you're right, I did want to talk about the fight. And what made you come back. But I don’t even think the fight’s important anymore. It is, but only because we do need to talk about it. What’s important is that you’re back now. We missed you, y’know. I missed you. It took me a while before I could admit that. But I did, and it made me think about that ridiculous blowup and how much it just didn’t matter. I know that you’ve always wanted Incanto to succeed. I was just being selfish back then. But I do want to know what made you come back.”

“Well,” Keith started, putting his cup down, “You did, kind of. I called Shiro at one point just to vent. That school was pretty bad. Academically it wasn’t terrible, but their art and music departments were grossly underfunded; they basically just had them there for show. But while I was venting, Shiro mentioned coming back home. And then it turned into him saying that I should just come back. And then he started talking about me rejoining the group when I got back, like my staying in Chicago had stopped being a question. But I thought about it, and I wasn’t sure about the idea. Kinda figured you'd still be pissed at me. But, Shiro reminded me that we’re both adults and that we’re mature enough to handle a year-old fight. So I finally agreed to come back.”

“I’m glad you did. But I meant what I said about the fight. I was being selfish. I got so focused on pushing forward with Incanto that I didn’t think about what you thought or how you felt. And then when you said that you were leaving to take that teaching job, I made it about me. And I’m sorry for that. It’s not up to me to decide what you should do with your life.”

Keith realized that Lance had never moved his hand and shifted his own, loosely weaving his fingers through those of his old friend’s. It made it feel like the fight had never happened, and Keith knew they’d be ok. “I’m sorry for picking that fight in the first place. There were better ways to tell you that I was moving halfway across the country than to just drop it on you like that. I don’t blame you for reacting the way you did.”

Lance just gave him that painfully endearing lopsided smile that Keith had always loved. Their moment was thoroughly ruined by Shiro coming through and almost dropping a very large road case in the middle of the kitchen floor. Lance lit up at the sight of it while Keith cringed at the way it was handled.

“I thought I recognized those calluses! But seriously, you dragged that all the way to Chicago and back?”

Keith nodded, unable to help the smile at how excited Lance was. He got up, unlocking the case and, with Shiro’s help, pulled his Celtic harp out, setting it on the floor. He finished his tea and pulled the chair out from the table, settling it closer to the stringed instrument before sitting down again.

“Yeah, I did. I was looking over a few of your new pieces on the flight back. Now, I know you. I know you rewrote that fourteenth century one by playing around on your guitar, but I think it could use a lighter touch,” he said, gently dragging his fingers across the strings.

Lance’s smile changed into something fond and softer, but no less ecstatic to have his best friend back. “Go for it. I have to hear this.”

~*~*~*~

[Here's](https://www.gaelsong.com/product/151324/mens-apparel) a link to Lance's outfit

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings, my supernatural creatures! The idea for this was inspired by some of my favorite music: Mediaeval Baebes, Faun, Omnia, and Loreena McKennitt. This part has been sitting around gathering dust and I got impatient, even with having two others in progress right now. I have a few others that I've started, and plan to add them to this series just cuz I'm curious to see if any y'all are interested in seeing them developed further. Lemme know in the comments!
> 
> ~Corvus


End file.
